Here’s a look back at East Carolina’s 40-20 loss to Conference USA East rival Central Florida in Orlando on Thursday:

THE GOOD

Justin Hardy's 76-yard TD was his career long

The Pirates jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead by sandwiching a 7-yard Shane Carden run and a 76-yard bomb from Carden to Justin Hardy around a quick three-and-out by the defense on the game’s first three possessions. It marked the first time this season that ECU has scored on its opening drive and the first time since the UTEP game last November that it scored the game’s first points. Although the Pirates were only able to tack on a 27-yard field goal on the final play of the second quarter, their 17 points marked the most they’ve had at halftime in 2012.

THE BAD

The Pirates had no answer for UCF quarterback Blake Bortles

Although the ECU defense did a commendable job of limiting Central Florida into kicking four field goals rather than scoring touchdowns before finally running out of gas last in the game, it had trouble containing Knights’ QB Blake Bortles all night – allowing the first-year starter to extend drives with both his arm and his legs. Bortles completed 15 of 21 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. Not only did the Pirates fail to sack him, LB Jeremy Grove, DE Michael Brooks and their teammate also allowed him to lead his team in rushing with 62 yards and a score on six carries.

THE OFFBEAT

Quncy McDuffie's 96-yard kickoff return changed the momentum of the game

For the second straight week the Pirates grabbed the momentum by opening up a double-digit lead, only to give it right back by allowing a long kickoff return for a touchdown. Last week ECU was able to recover from UTEP’s Autry Golden 96-yard score. Thursday, a 99-yarder by UCF’s Quincy McDuffie changed the entire complexion of the game as the Knights went on to outscore the Pirates 40-6 from that point on. This marks the first time since 2007 that ECU has allowed kickoff returns for touchdowns in consecutive games. The last two to do it were Houston’s Donnie Avery (100 yards) and UCF’s Curtis Francis (93 yards).

DEVELOPMENT OF THE WEEK

The Pirates missed out on an opportunity to go 3-0 in C-USA play and grab a firm hold of the East Division race. Though Thursday’s road loss to the Knights is hardly a death knell to their championship hopes, it does put them back into a dogfight with UCF and Southern Miss that will likely last the rest of the season. ECU is now 3-3 overall and 2-1 in league play for the seventh time since 2000.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Hardy

WR Justin Hardy got the Pirates off and running with a 76-yard touchdown catch that gave his team a 14-0 lead midway through the first quarter. It was the longest catch of Hardy’s career and his fifth touchdown this season. For the game, Hardy had five receptions for a game-high 119 yards and the score.

STAT OF THE WEEK

ECU has now lost 14 straight games when scoring 20 or less points. On the other side of the coin, the 40 points allowed Thursday marked the second -most the Pirates have surrendered this season behind the 48 at South Carolina. It was also the most in a C-USA game since Southern Miss hung 48 on them last season.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

McNeill

“We were trying to keep them fresh, but it was our third game in 13 days. It’s been a tough road for us. We felt good going into the game. [UCF] did a good job offensively. They’ve always had a good offensive line, and we knew that coming into the game. But I’m not going to make excuses. Against a good team, you can’t make mistakes. If you lose the momentum, you have to capture it back.” Coach Ruffin McNeill.

LOOKING AHEAD

The Pirates should finally get a breather, both literally and physically with two extra days to get their legs back before returning home to Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium for a game against winless Memphis on Oct. 13. ECU beat the Tigers 35-17 at the Liberty Bowl last year. This will be the final meeting between the schools as conference rivals, as Memphis will be joining the Big East next year.